Yunus-Modi talks: Hasina extradition came up, nothing was finalised

Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain yesterday said that Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus raised the extradition issue of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina during his talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but nothing was finalised in this regard.

The adviser, however, refrained from going into details while briefing reporters at the foreign ministry.

Over sending back Hasina, Khalilur Rahman, high representative to the chief adviser, said, "Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has clearly stated that the relationship between Bangladesh and India is not a relation with any individual or any political party. It is a relationship between two states."

He made the comment while speaking at another press conference at the Foreign Service Academy.

On April 4, Yunus and Modi had a meeting on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC summit at a Bangkok hotel.

It was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since the political changeover in Bangladesh in August last year when the Hasina government fell, and she fled to India amid a mass uprising.

Touhid added that further improvement of the relations depends on both sides. "We need to progress the relations together."

After the meeting in Bangkok, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that Modi urged that rhetoric that vitiates the environment is best avoided.

Responding to a query regarding the matter, Tauhid said both the leaders agreed on this as the same things are happening from the Indian side too.

Asked about the Teesta River Management Project, he said Bangladesh remains open to both India and China, and it will be looked into where Bangladesh's interest is protected.

The government is committed to handing over the responsibility to an elected political leadership, Tauhid said while responding to a question on Modi's Friday statement that India's support for a "democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive, and inclusive Bangladesh".

The adviser added that Bangladesh's friends always discuss election issues.

He said that by and large, the chief adviser's visits to China and Thailand to attend BIMSTEC summit fulfilled Bangladesh's expectations.

Meanwhile, Khalilur, during his press briefing on the summit's outcome, said that the Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty with India is going to expire next year, so Bangladesh is hoping for optimum cooperation from India about renewing the treaty.

"Both sides maintain communications to ensure that discussions on this issue begin smoothly," he said while responding to a query.

On the Teesta water sharing, Khalilur said the life and livelihoods of about 14 percent of the country's people, who have been living on the Teesta basin, depends on the availability of the river water.

Ensuring a minimum availability of Teesta waters is one of the top priorities of the Bangladesh government, he said.

"You cannot push 14 percent of the population into such a dire situation. That is why we are engaging with everyone, including India, to finalise the agreement. Once the agreement is in place, no further action will be necessary. At the same time, we must keep other options open, which is why we are working with all parties," he said.